CZ312897A3 - Wetting preparations - Google Patents

Abstract

Soaking compositions are disclosed which comprise a sorbitan ester in combination with a high amount of a building and soil suspending system. Said compositions are diluted in water to form a soaking liquor. The invention is particularly effective in removing silt and clay from fabrics.

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to the cleaning of fabrics under soaking conditions, i.e., the conditions where the fabrics are soaked in a soaking solution containing water and detergent components, either as a first step before a typical washing operation or as a separate (single) step.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The soaking operations of fabrics are described in the art. In these soaking operations, the fabrics are left in contact with the soaking solution for an extended period of time ranging from several hours to overnight. This washing method has the advantage that the contact time between the fabric and the key active ingredients of the soaking solution is maximized. It is also advantageous that the need for a typical washing operation is reduced or eliminated, including the need for mechanical intense movement (shaking), or that the efficiency of a later typical washing operation is increased.

Such soaking operations are typically effective for removing hard-to-remove coarse outdoor dirt from fabrics such as, in particular, clay, mud, fine dust and clay deposits. Such dirt is particularly difficult to remove from fabrics. However, it is known that very fine grains of dirt, such as fine dust, typically between 0.002 mm and 0.050 mm, and fine grains of clay, typically up to 0.002 mm, can be interposed between the fibers of the fabric and are very difficult to come with. the surface of fabrics where they adhere. This problem is particularly acute for socks that are most exposed to the possibility of fine dust, mud and clay contamination.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to improve the removal of dirt, especially fine dust, mud and clay from fabrics during a soaking operation.

It has been found that this object of the invention can be achieved by soaking fabrics in an aqueous soaking solution comprising a soaking detergent composition, wherein the composition comprises the aforesaid sorbitan ester along with a large amount of a system that collects and suspends the soil. The invention includes both a soaking detergent and a method of soaking fabrics in a soaking solution formed from said soaking detergent.

In one embodiment, the invention includes compositions comprising:

- sorbitan ester of formula A - (C ₂ H 4 O) _X R ₃ R ₂ R 3 'wherein x is an integer from 0 to 40, R ₂ are independently OH or (C _n ^H _{n + 3} ) C 100 and R 8 is ( C _n H _{n + 3} ) a COO group wherein n is an integer from 11 to 17, a

5 to 50% by weight of a system for collecting and suspending an impurity comprising compounds selected from the group consisting of citric acid or citrates, silicates, zeolites, polycarboxylates, phosphates and mixtures thereof.

In another embodiment, the invention includes a method of soaking fabrics, wherein the fabrics are immersed in a soaking solution comprising water and an effective amount of the above composition.

The invention includes a composition and method for soaking fabrics. In the soaking process, the above composition is used as a soaking composition.

A - means

In a first embodiment, the invention comprises a composition comprising a sorbitan ester and in large amounts a system that collects and suspends the impurity.

Sorbitan ester

The first constituent is sorbitan ester of the formula

A - C ₆ H ₉ 0 ₂ (C ₂ H ₄ O) _x ^R ₁ ^R ₂ ^R 3 ' ^ktJ ex is an integer from 0 to 40, ^R 1' ^R 2 J ^are independently OH or (C _n H _{n +} - ^) CXX) and R 3 is a (C _n H _{n +} -?) COO group wherein n is an integer from 11 to 17.

In the preferred compositions herein, x is 0 or 20, and most preferably the compositions herein comprise polyethoxylated (20) sorbitan tristearate, i.e., ^C 6 ^H 9 ° 2 ^ ^C 2 ^H 4 °) 20 ^C 17 ^H 35 ^COO ^ 3 'or polyethoxylated (20) sorbitan monostearate, ie. C ^ HgO2 (C 2 H ₄ O) 2q (OH) 2 (γΗβ ^ ^ (Χ) 0), or sorbitan monostearate, i.e. CgHgO2 (OH) 2 (17 (35) - 00), or sorbitan monopalmitate, i. Ο ^ ΗρΟ ₂ (ΟΗ) ₂ (C ^ Hg-jCOO), or mixtures thereof.

All of these materials are commercially available under various trade names such as Glycosperse TS 20 from Lonzy (polyethoxylated sorbitan tristearate), Glycosperse S 20 from Lonza (polyethoxylated sorbitan monostearate), Radiasurf 7145 from Fina (sorbitan monostearate), Radiasurf 7135 from Fina (sorbitanmonop) , Armotan MP from Akzo (sorbitan monopalmitate).

Furthermore, it has been found that combining ethoxylated sorbitan esters with nonethoxylated sorbitan esters provides a better performance than using one species alone. In the wetting composition as disclosed herein, the sorbitan ester is preferably 0.01 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 5% by weight, and most preferably 0.5 to 5% by weight.

System that collects and suspends dirt

The second basic component disclosed herein is a system that collects and suspends an impurity and which comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of citric acid or citrates, silicates, zeolites, polycarboxylates, phosphates, and mixtures thereof. In principle, the system is also present in a large total amount of 5 to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, preferably 10 to 40% by weight, and most preferably 15 to 30% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

Citric acid can be used in its acid form or in the form of its salt (mono-, di-, tri- salts) and in all its

anhydrous or hydrated forms or mixtures thereof.

Suitable silicates for use herein include alkali metal salts of silicates or mixtures thereof. A preferred alkali metal salt of the silicate for use herein is sodium silicate. It has been found that the decomposition of oxygen formed in the soaking solution upon dissolution of the soaking components is reduced in the presence of at least 40 parts per million (ppm) of sodium silicate in the soaking solutions.

Any type of alkali metal silicate salt may be used including crystalline forms of said alkali metal silicate salt or mixtures thereof.

Suitable crystalline forms of sodium silicate which may be used herein are crystalline layered silicates in granular form:

NaMSi _x O _{2x + 1} .yH ₂ O wherein M is sodium or hydrogen, x is a number from 1.9 to 4 and y is a number from 0 to 20, or mixtures thereof. Crystalline layered sodium silicates of this type are disclosed in EP-A-164514 and methods for their preparation are disclosed in DE-A-3417649 and DE-A-3742043. For purposes of the present invention, x in the above general formula has a value of 2, 3 or 4, and preferably 2. More preferably, M is sodium and y is 0, and preferred examples of this formula include a, b, g, and g of Na ₂ Si ₂ O ₃ - These substances are available from Hoechst AG FRG as resp. NaSKS-5, NaSKS-7, NaSKS-11, and NaSKS-6. The most preferred substance is d - Na ₂ Si ₂ 0g, NaSKS-6. Crystalline layered silicates are incorporated herein into granular wetting compositions, either as anhydrous mixed solids or as solid components of agglomerates with other components.

Suitable amorphous forms of sodium silicate which can be used herein have the following general formula:

NaMSi _x 0 _{2x +} wherein M is sodium or hydrogen and x is a number from 1.9 to 4, or mixtures thereof. For use herein are preferably amorphous in form 2θ5 ^^ ^ ^& 2θ ·

Suitable zeolites for use herein are

aluminosilicates including those having the empirical formula:

M _z (zA1O .ySiO _{2 2)} wherein M is sodium, potassium, ammonium or substituted ammonium, z is from 0.5 to 2, y is 1, this material having a magnesium ion exchange capacity of at least 50 milligram equivalents of CaCO ^ hardness per gram of anhydrous aluminosilikatu. Preferred are zeolites having the general formula:

On _zi (A10 ₂ ) _z (SiO ₂ ) _yu x H ₂ 0 where after y are integers of at least 6, the molar ratio of z to y is 1.0 to 0.5 and x is an integer of 15 to 264.

Substances for use are commercially available. These aluminosilanes may be crystalline or amorphous in structure and may be in natural form or synthetically prepared. A process for preparing aluminosilicate ion exchange materials is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,669, Krummel et al., issued Oct. 12, 1976. Preferred synthetic crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange materials useful herein are available under the designation Zeolite A, Zeolite P (B) and Zeolite X. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the ion exchange crystalline aluminosilicate material has the general formula:

^At 12i ^ ^A10 2 ^ 12i ^S10 2) 12u · ^xH 2 ° where x is 20 to 30, especially 27. This material is known as Zeolite A. It is preferred that the aluminosilicate particles have a size of 0.1 to 10 microns in diameter .

Suitable phosphate builders for use herein are sodium and potassium tripolyphosphate, pyrophosphate, polymeric metaphosphate having a degree of polymerization of 6 to 21, and orthophosphate. Other phosphorus filler compounds are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,159,581, 3,213,030, 3,422,021, 3,422,137, 3,400,176 and 3,400,148, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Suitable polycarboxylate builders for use herein include ether polycarboxylates including oxydisuccinate as disclosed by Berg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,287, issued Apr. 7, 1964; and Lamberti et al.

U.S. Patent No. 3,635,830, issued Jan. 18, 1972. See also TMS / TDS fillers of U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,071, issued to Bush et al. on May 5, 1987. Suitable ether polycarboxylates also include cyclic compounds, especially alicyclic compounds, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,923,679, 3,835,163, 4,120,874 and 4,102,903.

Other useful detergent builders are the hydroxypolycarboxylate ether, 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene-2,4,6-. trisulfonic acid and carboxymethylsuccinic acid and various salts of polyacetic acids and alkali metals, ammonium salts and substituted ammonium salts such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and nitrilotriacetic acid and polycarboxylates such as mellitic acid, succinic acid, oxydisuccinic acid, polymaleic acid, benzene-1,3-carboxylic acid, benzene-1,3-carboxylic acid and soluble salts thereof.

Also useful in the detergent compositions of the present invention are 3,3-dicarboxy-4-oxa-1,6-hexanedioates and related compounds described in US Patent 4,566,984, Bush et al., Issued Jan. 28, 1986. Useful succinic acid builders include C $ - C ₂ alkyl and q alkenyl succinic acids and salts thereof. A particularly preferred compound of this type is dodecenylsuccinic acid.

Among the specific lauryl succinate,

2-Dodecenyl Succinate Preferred fillers as described in European Examples of Succinate Fillers include: myristyl succinate, palmityl succinate, (preferred), 2-pentadecenyl succinate and the like.

of this group are lauryl succinates, and are patent application 86200690.5 / 0,200,263, issued November 6, 1986.

Other suitable polycarboxylates are described in U.S. Pat. U.S. Patent No. 5,632,516;

No. 4,144,226, Crutchfield et al., Issued Mar. 6, 1979;

No. 3,308,067, Diehl, issued March 7, 1967. See also Diehl,

U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,322.

Other polycarboxylate fillers for use herein include those having the general Formula I:

where Y is a comonomer or a comonomer mixture, R and R are bleachable and stable to the alkali end groups of the polymer, R is H, OH or alkyl, M is H, alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonia or substituted ammonia, p is from 0 to 2, and n is at least 10, or mixtures thereof.

Preferred polymers for use herein fall into the two categories. The first category belongs to a class of copolymer polymers which are formed from an unsaturated polycarboxylic acid such as maleic acid, citraconic acid, itaconic acid, mesaconic acid and salts thereof as the first monomer, and an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid such as acrylic acid or alpha-C 1-4 alkyl acrylic acid such as second monomer. In relation to formula I above, the polymers belonging to said first class are those wherein p is not 0 and Z is selected from the acids listed above. Preferred polymers of this class are those having the formula of formula I above wherein Y is maleic acid. In a preferred embodiment also R and M are H and n is such that the polymers have a molecular weight of 1000 to 400000 atomic mass units.

A second category of preferred polymers for use herein belongs to the class of polymers of formula I above, wherein p is 0 and R is H or alkyl. In a preferred embodiment, n is such that the polymers have a molecular weight of 1000 to 400,000 atomic mass units. In a highly preferred embodiment, R and M are H.

The alkali-stable end groups of the polymer R < 0 > O and R ' suitably include alkyl groups, oxyalkyl groups, and alkylcarboxylic acid and salt groups and esters thereof.

In the above, n, the degree of polymerization of the polymer can be determined from the weighted average molecular weight of the polymer by dividing by the average molecular weight of the monomer. Thus, for a maleic-acrylic copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of 155,000 and containing 30 mole% units derived x 0.3 + 72 x

Sulfonate Laboratories from Acid Columns

0,7)).

with controlled polymer

Ltd.

are maleic, at 40 standards is n 182 ° C (i.e. 155,000 / (116 to sodium polystyrene available from Polymer Britain, polymeric 0.02M water) and are, Shropshire, Great Sodium Dihydrogen Phosphate at pH 7.0 in the mixture

0.15M hydroxide standards tetramethylammonium acetonitrile in a ratio of 80/20.

Of all the above polymers, the highly preferred polymers for use herein are from the first 100 to 800, preferably 120 to 400.

A preferred filler and system of the category wherein n is an average impurity collection and suspension suitable for use herein is anhydrous citric acid or maleic or acrylic acid polymers, or maleic-acrylic acid copolymers. Optional

The soaking composition of the present invention may further comprise other miscellaneous ingredients.

As an optimal and highly preferred component, the composition may further comprise an oxygen bleaching composition. Indeed, oxygen bleaches provide multiple benefits such as bleach bleaching, deodorization, as well as disinfection and sorbitan esters of the present invention have additional advantages to oxidation resistance, due to oxygen bleaching agents.

The oxygen bleaching composition in this composition may be derived from a variety of sources such as hydrogen peroxide or any hydrogen peroxide addition compound or organic peroxyacid or mixtures thereof. By hydrogen peroxide addition compounds are meant compounds which are formed by the addition of hydrogen peroxide to a secondary chemical compound, which may be, for example, an inorganic salt, urea or organic carboxylate to obtain an addition compound. Examples of addition compounds include inorganic perhydrate salts, hydrogen peroxide compounds formed with organic carboxylates, urea, and compounds in which hydrogen peroxide is clathrated.

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Other oxygen bleaching agents include persulfates, especially potassium persulfate, 22 22θ8 ^and sodium persulfate Na2S2Og. Inorganic perhydrated salts include perborate, percarbonate, persulfate, ^and persulfate salts. Inorganic perhydrate salts are normally alkali metal salts.

The alkali metal salts of percarbonates, perborates or salts thereof are preferred inorganic perhydrate salts for use herein. A preferred alkali metal salt of percarbonate is sodium percarbonate.

The soaking compositions of the present invention may contain up to 60% by weight of the composition a source of hydrogen peroxide, preferably up to 40% by weight and even more preferably 10 to 40% by weight.

If the soaking compositions herein contain oxygen bleaching agents, it is preferred that they also contain bleach activators.

Suitable compounds of this type include, for example, those disclosed in British Patent Application GB 1 586 769 and GB 2 143 231. Such preferred compounds are, for example, tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED), sodium 3,5,5-trimethyl hexanoyloxybenzene sulfonate, diperoxydodecanoic acid. as described, for example, in US 4,818,425 and peroxyadipic acid nonylamide as disclosed in US 4,259,201 and n-nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate (NOBS), and acetyl triethyl citrate (ATC), as disclosed in European Patent Application 91870207.7. Also particularly preferred are N-acylcaprolactam selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted benzoylcaprolactam, octanoylcaprolactam, nonanoylcaprolactam, hexanoylcaprolactam, decanoylcaprolactam, undecenoylcaprolactam, acetylcaprolactam, formylcaprolactam, formylcaprolactam, The soaking compositions herein may comprise a mixture of said bleach activators.

Bleach activator mixtures containing n-nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate (NOBS) together with a secondary bleach activator having a low tendency to form diacyl peroxide but which releases mainly peroxyacid are preferred. Said secondary bleach activators may include tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED), acetyl triethyl citrate (ATC), acetyl caprolactam, benzoyl caprolactam and the like, or mixtures thereof. Said bleach activator mixtures are preferably used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein the pH of the dipping solutions is directed to less than 9.5. Indeed, it has been found that such bleach activator mixtures containing n-nonanoyloxybenzene sulfonate and said secondary bleach activators make it possible to improve, in particular, soil cleansing properties while exhibiting beta-carotene-sensitive soils and soil-sensitive diacylperoxide (e.g. Peroxyacid (e.g.

body impurities).

Thus, by weight herein, the wetting compositions may comprise up to 15% by weight of the total composition, n-nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate, preferably 1 to 10% by weight and even more preferably 3 to 7% by weight, and up to 15% by weight of the total composition. % of a bleach activator, preferably 1 to 10% by weight and even more preferably 3 to 7% by weight.

If soaked compositions herein include oxygen bleaching agents, they may be desirably those that additionally contain chelating agents that help control the concentration of free heavy metal ions in soaking solutions where rapid decomposition of the oxygen produced by said source is achieved. Suitable aminocarboxylate chelating agents that may be used herein include diethylenetriaminopentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminotetraacetates (EDTA), N-tetrapropionates, triethylenetetraamine hexaacetates and ethanediglycines, the alkali metal ammonium salt and substituted ammonium salts or mixtures thereof. Further suitable chelating agents include ethylenediamine-N, ^{N'--disukcinové} (EDDS) or the alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium salts. Particularly suitable EDDS compounds are the free acid forms and their sodium or magnesium salts or complexes. Other suitable

the chelating agents may be organic phosphonates, including amino alkylene poly (alkylene phosphonate), alkali metal ethane-1-hydroxydiphosphonates, nitrilo trimethylene phosphonates, ethylene diamine tetramethylene phosphonates and diethylene triamine pentamethylene phosphonates. The phosphonate compounds may be present either in their acid form or in the form of an alkali metal salt. Preferred organic phosphonate compounds are those present in the form of the magnesium salt.

The soaking compositions of the invention may contain up to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, of said chelating agents, preferably up to 3% by weight, even more preferably 0.05 to 2% by weight.

The wetting compositions of the present invention may further comprise other optional ingredients such as surfactants, fillers, optical brighteners, enzymes, other chelating agents, dispersants, soil release agents, light activated bleaching agents such as colorants, dye transfer inhibitors, said optional ingredients. can be added

Zn phthalocyanine sulphonate, pigments and fragrances, in various quantities as required.

The compositions herein may be manufactured in solid, preferably granular, or liquid form.

B - Method

In a second embodiment, the invention comprises a method of soaking fabrics. As used herein, the term fabric soaking method refers to the action of a water-containing soaking solution and the above-described composition on a fabric that is soaked for a period of time long enough to clean said fabrics. This soaking method can be used independently of another method such as a typical washing operation or a first step before a second, typical washing step. In the preferred soaking methods of the present invention, the fabrics are allowed to soak for a time ranging from 10 minutes to 24 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 24 hours, most preferably 4 hours to 24 hours. The fabrics are then immersed in said soaking solution for a sufficient period of time, then

removed and rinsed with water. The fabrics may also be washed in a normal washing operation after which they are soaked, then either rinsed or subjected to a soaking operation without rinsing and subsequently subjected to a washing operation.

In the soaking process described herein, the soaking composition described above is diluted with an appropriate amount of water to obtain a soaking solution. A suitable dosage size is between 45 and 50 grams of soaking agent in 3.5 to 5 liters of water, 90 to 100 grams of soaking agent in 20 to 45 liters of water, typically a dose of 45 to 50 grams in 3.5 to 5 liters per concentrated solution. For washing machines it is 90 to 100 grams in 20 liters of water (Europe) to 45 liters of water (USA). The fabrics are soaked and then immersed in the soaking solution for a reasonable period of time. Some factors influence the course of the whole processing, especially the ratio between dirt and clay. These factors include prolonged soaking times. If fabrics are soaked for longer, better end results are reported. Ideally soaking overnight, ie for 12 to 24 hours. Another factor is the choice of an initial temperature such as boiling or near boiling. A higher starting temperature will greatly improve the utilization of the method.

The method described herein is suitable for cleaning a variety of fabrics, and finds a particularly advantageous application for soaking socks that are particularly exposed to fine dust and mud.

The following examples are provided to illustrate the invention in further detail without limiting its scope or scope.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Then said means is prepared by mixing Ingredients referred to in list in ratios, that are in this list

said.

Folder <

sorbitan monostearate (SMS) sorbitan tristearate EO (STS EO 20) citric acid zeolite A polyacrylate (Acusol 445ND) silicate (amorphous, 1.6 r) sodium perborate monohydrate sodium percarbonate sodium carbonate sodium sulfate

NOBS Anionic (LAS / AS / AES)

123 (% w / w) - 3.00— - —3.00

1212

1111

11 11 11 0.3 0.3 0.3 26 26 26 0 0 0 4 4 4 10 10 10

12 12

Other, inert and minor proportions

100 100 100

4 5 6 Component (% weight / weight) sorbitan monostearate (SMS) 2.50 0 0 sorbitan monostearate EO 20 (SMS EO 20) 0 3.00 0 Sorbitan tristearate EO 20 (STS EO 20) 0.50 0 3.00 citric acid 10 10 10 zeolite A 0 0 0 polyacrylate (Acusol 445 ND) 11 11 11 Silicate (amorphous, 1.6 r) 0.4 0.4 0.4 sodium perborate monohydrate 0 0 0 copper percarbonate 31 31 31 sodium sulfate 24 24 24 NOBS 6 6 6 TAED 5 5 5 anionic (LAS / AS / AES) 7 7 7 other, inert and minor proportions to to to 100 ALIGN! 100 ALIGN! 100 ALIGN!

The soaking solutions are formed by diluting 45 grams of said compositions in 3.5 to 5.0 liters of water. 0.5 to 2 kg of fabric is then immersed in said soaking solution for 10 minutes to 24 hours. Finally, the fabrics are removed from the soaking solutions, rinsed with water and washed in a normal washing manner, manually or in a washing machine, with a conventional detergent, either without or using the soaking solution again, and then the fabrics are dried.

Industrial applicability

The soaking compositions of the present invention are useful in the textile and service industries due to their use in laundries, dry cleaners and fabric treatment plants.

Claims (10)

PATENT CLAIMS A soaking composition comprising: sorbitan ester of formula A - C 1 H 8 O 2 (C 2 H 4 O) _χ 2 Κ Κ 2 ^ 3 where x is an integer from 0 to 40, R 1, R 2 are independently OH or (C _n H _{n + 1} ) COO and R ₃ is (C _n H _{n + 1} ) a COO group wherein n is an integer from 11 to 17, a 5 to 50% by weight of a system for collecting and suspending an impurity comprising a compound selected from the group consisting of citric acid or citrates, silicates, zeolites, polycarboxylates, phosphates and mixtures thereof. A soaking composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises from 0.01% to 10% by weight of sorbitan ester, preferably from 0.01% to 5% by weight, most preferably from 0.5% to 5% by weight. . A soaking composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sorbitan ester is a polyethoxylated (20) sorbitan tristearate or a polyethoxylated (20) sorbitan monostearate or sorbitan monostearate or sorbitan monopalmitate or mixtures thereof. A soaking composition according to the preceding claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that it comprises a non-ethoxylated sorbitan ester and an ethoxylated sorbitan ester. A soaking composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises in an amount 10% by weight to 40% by weight, most preferably 15% by weight to 30% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, the soil collecting and suspending system. A wetting agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the impurity collecting and suspending system comprises anhydrous citric acid or polymers of maleic acid or acrylic acid, or copolymers of maleic acid and acrylic acid. A soaking composition according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a bleaching agent. A soaking composition according to claim 7, comprising a bleach activator. A method of soaking fabrics, characterized in that the fabrics are immersed in a soaking solution containing an effective amount of the composition of claims 1 to 8 for an effective period of time and then removed from the soaking solution. The method of claim 9, wherein the time is 10 minutes to 24 hours.